Heathen Chemistry

iTunes Review

The first album recorded with new members Andy Bell and Gem Archer, and the last recorded with drummer Alan White, Heathen Chemistry represents a transitional moment for Oasis. The band still loves a dramatic ballad, but the “adult alternative” genre they helped create with songs like “Champagne Supernova” and “Wonderwall” threatens to overtake them on Heathen Chemistry. On “Little By Little,” “She Is Love,” and especially “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” (a huge hit in the U.K. in 2002 following England’s elimination from the World Cup) the band sounds like Oasis, but feels a bit too much like Matchbox 20. Oasis is at its best when it’s bearing down on its brand of sneering rock’n’roll, and while Gem Archer’s “Hung In A Bad Place” might be too careful a retread of “Supersonic,” the bluesy glam of “Force of Nature” is invigorating. Andy Bell’s groovy jam “A Quick Peep” is a new look that doesn’t last long enough, while the cyclical drumming on “Better Man” closes the album on a high note. After ten years, Oasis still struggles with its identity, but the band’s unwavering belief in itself continues to convince the audience to believe in them.